---
title: 'Nutrition and Exercise in Pregnancy: Supporting Your Body Each Trimester'
slug: nutrition-exercise-pregnancy-fuelling
lifeStage: pregnancy
category: Nutrition
medicalReviewer: 'Sophie Mumby, Registered Dietitian'
reviewerId: 'https://blog.bloume.com/pregnancy/medical-board.md#sophie-mumby'
lastUpdated: '2026-08-14'
primarySource: 'Drinking fluids during pregnancy – NHS'
wordCount: 1616
readTimeInSeconds: 404
---

# Nutrition and Exercise in Pregnancy: Supporting Your Body Each Trimester

Staying active in pregnancy changes how your body uses energy, protein, and fluids. This article walks through how your needs shift when you keep moving: how much extra to eat trimester by trimester, why protein and carbohydrates matter more when you are active, how to stay hydrated safely, and what to eat before and after exercise. If you have a high-risk pregnancy, gestational diabetes, or another condition needing medical supervision, talk through any dietary changes with your midwife, GP, or a registered dietitian.

**Q: Do I need to eat more calories if I exercise during pregnancy?**
A: For most pregnancies, you do not need extra calories in the first or second trimester, and around 200 extra a day in the third. If you exercise regularly, your needs may be higher, though there is no agreed national figure for active pregnancy. The general steer is to eat to your hunger and match what you eat to the energy you use. For personalised guidance on calories while active, speak with your midwife or a registered dietitian.

When you are pregnant and keeping active, you might notice your appetite shifting, your energy dipping partway through a session, or becoming more tired than you were used to. These are signs that what your body needs from food has changed. Fuelling your activity well, the nutrition you eat around exercise in pregnancy, shapes your energy, your recovery, and your baby's growth. Staying active does not call for a whole new diet. For the most part the foundation stays the same, a varied, balanced way of eating, with a few adjustments to support the extra work your body is doing.

> **WARNING**: If you have a high-risk pregnancy, gestational diabetes, hyperemesis gravidarum, or any other condition your healthcare team is managing, follow the personalised advice you have been given rather than general guidance. If you are not sure whether this applies to you, check with your midwife or GP first.

## Where eating for active pregnancy starts

You do not need a special diet to stay active while pregnant. The same balanced eating framework applies whether you exercise or not: plenty of fruit and vegetables, starchy wholegrain carbohydrates as the base of your meals, enough protein, dairy or dairy alternatives, and not too much saturated fat or added sugar. Activity does not change this. It just adds some emphasis within it.

Exercise in pregnancy is recommended, it can help boost your mood, promote a shorter labour and help with not gaining excessive weight. However, it should be comfortable and within safe limits, it's not about peak athletic performance. The fuel your body needs for moderate, steady activity is quite different from what high-performance sport demands, which is worth remembering when you come across general fitness nutrition advice online.

## Extra calories when you are active

You have probably heard that pregnancy means eating for two from the start. In practice, that is not how it works. For most pregnancies, you do not need any extra calories in the first or second trimester, and only around 200 extra a day in the third. What you eat matters just as much as how much, the whole way through.

When you exercise regularly, your calorie needs go up beyond this baseline. There is no exact figure as this will be very dependent on what exercise you are doing, the timings, intensity and your overall fitness levels. The general steer is to match what you eat to the energy you use, and to follow your hunger rather than aim for a fixed number. As your pregnancy progresses and your activity changes, your midwife or a registered dietitian can help you find the right approach for you.

## Protein for recovery and your baby's growth

Protein helps your muscles recover after exercise, and it supports your baby's growth too. Pregnancy adds a small amount to what you need, around 6 grams more protein a day on top of the usual adult requirement. That is a modest increase, and there is no separate target set for those who are also exercising regularly.

Some research points to a higher intake in later pregnancy if you are active, in the region of 1.2 to 1.77 grams per kilogram of body weight a day. This is still emerging, and it has not made its way into approved guidance yet. If you train regularly, or you were very active before pregnancy, it is worth raising protein with your midwife or a registered dietitian, who can tailor the advice to you.

Protein that fits easily into a pregnancy diet includes eggs, lean meat, fish (within the recommended limits for oily fish), pulses, dairy, tofu, and nuts. Spreading it across your meals and snacks, rather than loading it into one sitting, keeps a steady supply going through the day.

## Carbohydrates as your main energy source

Carbohydrates are your body's main fuel for movement, and that stays true in pregnancy. Building your meals around starchy, complex carbohydrates works well here, with wholegrain versions the better pick: potatoes, wholegrain bread, brown rice, and wholemeal pasta give you slow-release energy plus fibre. Keeping these at the centre of your meals helps your energy stay steady through the day and during exercise.

## Hydration when exercising in pregnancy

Keeping your fluids up matters more when you are pregnant and active. When you get dehydrated, your core temperature rises, and that carries risks in pregnancy, especially in the heat or during harder activity. The guidance is the same as the general population, aim for at least 2 litres of fluid a day, though this is only a guide, and what you actually need shifts with your body size, how active you are, and the weather.

In practice, sip water before, during, and after exercise. Pale yellow urine usually means you are well-hydrated. Darker urine is your cue to drink more. Thirst can be a sign of mild dehydration so try to keep sipping so you don't feel thirsty throughout the day. Plain water suits most activity in pregnancy, and you do not need specialist sports drinks for moderate exercise.

## What to eat before and after movement

There is no official guidance on timing meals around exercise in pregnancy, so what follows is practical and general rather than clinical. What sits well varies from person to person, and your midwife can help if you need more advice.

### Before exercise

A light snack built around complex carbohydrates, around 30 to 60 minutes before you start, can help carry your energy through a session. A small bowl of porridge, a banana, or a slice of wholegrain toast all give a steady release without leaving you uncomfortably full. Heavy, high-fat meals just before you move take longer to digest and can sit uncomfortably during activity, so they are best avoided.

### After exercise

Afterwards, a snack or meal that pairs carbohydrates with protein within about an hour helps your muscles recover and tops up your energy. Fruit with yoghurt, or baked beans on wholegrain toast, both work well. 

> **INFO**: Snack timing around exercise is not covered by official pregnancy guidance. The suggestions here come from general nutrition principles and are meant as starting points. If you have specific concerns about fuelling around activity, a registered dietitian with experience in pregnancy nutrition can give you advice tailored to you.

## Bringing it together across the trimesters

In the first trimester, your calorie needs increase slightly with exercise, as they would at any other time, though nausea and food aversions can make eating around exercise feel hard. Aim to eat what you can manage, and keep your fluids up. 

By the second trimester, you may find your appetite and energy settle, which is often when staying active feels more doable, and the focus shifts to carbohydrate-rich meals and enough protein. In the third trimester, the extra 200 calories a day comes in, and if you are still exercising regularly, your appetite usually signals any extra you need. When your activity is moderate, hunger is a reliable guide.

If you feel like you need extra help managing your diet and exercise ask about it at your next midwife appointment, or ask for a referral to a registered dietitian.

---

**Q: Do I need to eat more calories if I exercise during pregnancy?**

For most pregnancies, you do not need extra calories in the first or second trimester, and around 200 extra a day in the third. If you exercise regularly, your needs may be higher, though there is no agreed national figure for active pregnancy. The general steer is to eat to your hunger and match what you eat to the energy you use. For personalised guidance on calories while active, speak with your midwife or a registered dietitian.

**Q: How much protein do I need when exercising in pregnancy?**

Pregnancy adds around 6 grams of protein a day on top of the usual adult requirement. There is no separate figure for active pregnancy. In general, being more active requires a higher protein intake to help muscles repair and recover, the same applies during pregnancy. If you exercise regularly increasing your protein is sensible although there is no official guidance on how much this increase should be. If you train regularly, it is worth talking through your nutritional needs with your midwife or a registered dietitian.

**Q: What should I drink when exercising during pregnancy?**

All drinks count towards your fluid requirements (except alcohol which is not advised during pregnancy). Keeping your fluids up ensures you remain hydrated with is important for both you and your baby's wellbeing. Ensure you drink plenty before, during and after activity. Pale yellow urine is a simple sign that you are well-hydrated. Drink water before, during, and after activity, and check your urine stays pale yellow as a simple sign you are well-hydrated.

**Q: Is carb loading safe or useful during pregnancy?**

Carb loading is built for endurance athletes preparing for events lasting longer than 90 minutes. It does not apply to the moderate activity recommended in pregnancy. Building your meals around starchy wholegrain carbohydrates gives you plenty of fuel for typical pregnancy exercise, with no special loading needed.

**Q: What foods work well before and after exercise in pregnancy?**

This is not covered by official guidance, so the following is general practical advice. Before exercise, a light snack of complex carbohydrates around 30 to 60 minutes beforehand, like porridge, a banana, or wholegrain toast, can help keep your energy up. Afterwards, pairing carbohydrates with protein within about an hour supports recovery: fruit with pasteurised yoghurt or baked beans on wholegrain toast both work. Make sure any dairy is pasteurised, since unpasteurised dairy is not safe in pregnancy. If you have concerns about eating around exercise, speak with your midwife.

### Clinical Sources
- [Drinking fluids during pregnancy – NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/have-a-healthy-diet/)
- [Exercising in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/exercising-in-pregnancy/)
- [How much extra should I eat in pregnancy?](https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/nutrition-in-pregnancy/how-much-extra-should-i-eat-pregnancy)
- [Health & Fitness in Pregnancy](https://www.tims.nhs.uk/health-fitness-in-pregnancy/)
- [It's common for women to develop iron deficiency during pregnancy](https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutrition-for/pregnancy/)
- [Protein and Fitness in Pregnancy: What the Research Says](https://louco.co/blogs/our-blog/protein-and-fitness-in-pregnancy-what-the-research-says)
- [RCOG: Healthy eating and vitamin supplements in pregnancy](https://www.rcog.org.uk/for-the-public/browse-our-patient-information/healthy-eating-and-vitamin-supplements-in-pregnancy/)
- [Carb Loading: How to Do It and What to Eat](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/carb-loading)
- [Nutrition and Exercise - during your pregnancy](https://www.adph.org.uk/networks/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/PINE-Booklet.pdf)
- [7 Healthy Foods to Eat Before and After Exercising During Pregnancy](https://www.mumberry.com/blogs/all-blogs/7-healthy-foods-to-eat-before-and-after-exercising-during-pregnancy)
- [Nutritional Tips for Active and Athletic Pregnant Women](https://lolalykke.com/blogs/mamahood-manuals/nutritional-tips-for-active-and-athletic-pregnant-women)

---
Reviewed by Sophie Mumby, Registered Dietitian | [Medical Board](https://blog.bloume.com/pregnancy/medical-board.md) | August 2026